


Five Times That Arthur Kissed Merlin Plus One Time That Merlin Kissed Him Back

by tehfanglyfish



Series: Five Times [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: 5 Times, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Does Give Away the Ending of the Show, Fix-It, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 17:13:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17985299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehfanglyfish/pseuds/tehfanglyfish
Summary: The title sums it up.





	Five Times That Arthur Kissed Merlin Plus One Time That Merlin Kissed Him Back

**Author's Note:**

> I know this format has been done a lot but it's one of my favorites.
> 
> Not my characters. Not my franchise. No monies for me.

1

About a year after he officially recognized Arthur as the crown prince, Uther and most of his council members fell ill. Something had gone wrong in the palace kitchens, leaving the king and his advisors hugging their chamber pots and wishing for death. Though they all recovered eventually, it was a rough time, further complicated by a visiting delegation from Mercia seeking to renegotiate a treaty with Camelot. Despite the various remedies Gaius prepared, there was no way Uther could attend and so, begrudgingly, he informed Arthur that the task would fall to him.

Never one to mince words, Uther, between bouts of retching, expressed his firm conviction that half the kingdom would be lost before the negotiations ended. Arthur stood in silence as his father berated his intellectual abilities, his skill at diplomacy, and his softness of heart. And while Gaius assured him that it was just the illness talking, Arthur never forgot Uther’s pronouncement that his only son might be moderately capable with a sword but would never be fit to rule.

Desperate to prove his father wrong, Arthur left Morgana to entertain the visitors and retreated to the castle library. Geoffrey of Monmouth offered some help in locating records but Arthur could find nothing to give him the upper hand. It appeared that he really might lose half of the kingdom. After two sleepless nights of research, Arthur nodded off in the library, hours before the negotiations were to commence.

When he awoke in a panic, he found a stack of carefully organized parchments on the table beside him. Old maps, prior treaties, and even some genealogical records were mixed together, with ribbons placed on top of pages containing strategic information that would not only maintain Camelot’s current holdings but even expand them. Arthur had never felt so relieved in his entire life. He tried to thank Geoffrey, but the old man explained that it was Merlin who deserved his gratitude.

“How did you do this?” Arthur asked, holding up the parchments as he and Merlin walked toward the council chamber. “Not even Geoffrey knew about some of these records.”

“I just… spend a lot of time in the library for Gaius.”

“Well, for once Merlin, you were brilliant!”

Feeling euphoric from the knowledge that he wasn’t going to fail his father, Arthur grabbed Merlin by the shoulders, pulling him forward to plant a kiss on his forehead. Merlin’s eyes went wide but before he could say anything, Arthur hurried off to meet with the visiting diplomats.  


2

Arthur had won the tournament by his own abilities. No one had given special treatment to Sir William of Deira. And on top of it all, he’d achieved his triumph while wounded from a would-be assassin. Even though the victory was rightfully his, Arthur sent the young farmer out to greet the crowd and claim the glory. As Gwen followed Sir William, Merlin stayed behind in the tent to tend to Arthur’s injuries and remove his armor.

Though Arthur had announced that this was a time for humility, he was quite jovial as Merlin pulled off his chainmail and draped a blue cloak over his shoulders.

“I did it, Merlin. I proved that I am the most skilled knight.”

“I never doubted you.”

Arthur gave Merlin a deep stare and then, suddenly and forcefully, kissed him full on the mouth, before bounding out of the tent to cheer for William. Though he attributed Arthur’s actions to delirium brought on from blood loss, Merlin found himself gently touching his own lips over the next few days, remembering the press of Arthur’s against them.

3

Arthur had planned it all so perfectly. The candles, the speech, the ring… so when he proposed to Guinevere and she said no, he was stunned.

“But Guinevere…”

“No, Arthur. It won’t work. You’re a wonderful friend and you always will be. But it’s not fair to either of us to marry when we aren’t in love with one another.”

Though he didn’t remember the journey, Arthur somehow made his way from Gwen’s house to his chambers. Merlin found him sitting in the floor, slumped against his bed. He looked up at Merlin and burst into tears. This incredibly uncharacteristic behavior sent Merlin into a bit of panic. It took some time but eventually, Arthur relayed the entire account of what had happened, along with some reflections on the pressures of monarchy, the need for an heir, and Arthur’s fears of being forced to marry a princess that he hardly knew.

“I know she’s just a friend, Merlin, but if I am to be bound to someone for life, why would I choose a stranger?”

While Arthur continued to wail in the floor, experiencing the logical conclusion of thirty years of repressed emotions, Merlin darted to Gaius’s chamber, returning with a strong sleeping draught.

“You’ll feel better in the morning,” Merlin soothed as he helped the king into bed.

As the draught began to take effect, Arthur took Merlin’s hand in his own, lightly kissing his knuckles.

“You’re a good friend, Merlin,” he slurred as he fell into a deep sleep.

Before retreating to his own bed, Merlin drafted a notice to the council that the king’s marriage, or lack thereof, was no longer an acceptable topic for debate, slipping it in with the agendas he’d prepared for the next day’s meeting.

4

It was a perfect night, late spring when the days were warm but not oppressively so. Relations with other kingdoms were peaceful. There had been no assassination attempts in some time. The king’s self-confidence as a leader had grown.

Arthur, taken by an especially good mood, chose to the spend the evening with his closest friends, inviting them to dinner. Much to his surprise, Merlin was even excused from serving duties so that he might also have a place at the king’s table. After a few hours of food, wine, and camaraderie, the group dispersed, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone.

Wanting to postpone the inevitable end of the night and the return of his responsibilities, Arthur came up with the brilliant plan to find more wine and sneak out of the castle. Part of the fun, he confessed to Merlin, was evading the guards. After all, if they knew where the king was headed, they would alert his knights and soon someone would be stealthily watching him from a distance to ensure that no harm came to him.

Leaving the castle proved to be of little challenge. Merlin’s own skill in avoiding detection was, Arthur had to admit, quite impressive. It was almost as if Merlin had done this many times before. They made their way to a field just beyond the castle walls. Lying in the tall grass with shoulders touching, they passed the wineskin back and forth. The air was thick with the scent of wildflowers. Bugs chirped to each other. The sky was clear, with bright stars twinkling and moonlight illuminating them both.

“I wish I could stay here forever,” Arthur said.

“You’d get bored.”

“Maybe… but you’re here. You can entertain me.”

Merlin laughed softly and sighed. “The stars are beautiful tonight.”

“Not as beautiful as you.”

Merlin turned to look at Arthur, who then closed the miniscule distance between them, gently kissing Merlin in the starlight. Though the kiss was chaste, Merlin moaned, which encouraged Arthur to intensify it. They were interrupted by the sound of approaching hoofbeats.

“I found them,” Gwaine called out.

Their departure hadn’t been as stealthy as they’d thought. If Gwaine happened to see what they’d been doing just before he arrived, he never mentioned it.

 

5

The battle at Camlann ended days ago. With Merlin’s help, Camelot’s forces had defeated Morgana and the Saxons. The kingdom was safe, though its king was not.

In spite of all his magic, Arthur was right. Merlin couldn’t save his life. As he held Arthur in his arms, so close to Lake Avalon yet not near enough, Merlin was overwhelmed with a sense of powerlessness, even more so than when Morgana had sent the eancanah to strip him of his magic.

“I want to say something I’ve never said to you before…”

Arthur trailed off, bringing a gloved hand up behind Merlin. Though weak, he managed to pull Merlin’s face closer to his.

“I love you,” he whispered, faintly pressing his lips to Merlin’s.

As he fell back, Arthur thought he heard Merlin calling to him. Was that Merlin shaking him? But Merlin was so far away now and it was impossible to stay awake. And honestly, Arthur just wanted to rest. He was so very tired and… Arthur’s consciousness faded as life left his body.

+1

Arthur awoke in what he assumed was the spirit world. A bright golden glow surrounded him. It felt warm and safe and familiar. And then it changed. Arthur could sense the light flowing into him, restoring him, pushing his consciousness back into his body. He heard the sound of lapping water and felt a firm pressure on his chest. He could smell grass and mud. It occurred to Arthur that he should try to breathe, but it was proving difficult to do. He tried to figure out why. Ah... Merlin was lying on top of him, kissing him senseless.

As Arthur regained control of his limbs, he did the only rational thing he could do. Wrapping his arms tightly around Merlin, he kissed him back. Slowly at first, as returning from the dead takes a toll on one, but then with increasing passion.

A startled Merlin jerked back. Arthur’s eyes, finally working again, looked up to see Merlin’s tearstained face breaking into an enormous grin.

“I did it! You said there was nothing I could do, but I brought him back!”

Arthur wondered who Merlin was yelling at.

“So you did, young warlock. It appears that your magic flowed into your king, healing his body and pulling his soul back to the world of the living.”

Arthur craned his neck to see a giant dragon staring at them. Having just been through the ordeal of death and resurrection, Arthur decided to ignore the dragon for the time being.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Merlin murmured as he leaned down to kiss Arthur yet again. Camelot, the dragon, and destiny could all wait. The king and his warlock had years of missed kisses to make up for.


End file.
